On Tanking: Why you should get out of your tank more.

[Xeon Wraith]

Let me preface this by saying it's perfectly fine to never get out of your vehicle as a rule of thumb, especially if you're a newer player who is still getting to grips with tanking in Ren X.  However until you're able to argue the exact reasons for and against your actions you'll never be truly efficient. This post looks at some of those arguments and is intended for the more experienced players who are looking to further optimise their tanking. (Its basically a risk assessment, but with tanks.)

 

Lets consider the basic reason why players advise not to get out of their vehicle.

• Vehicle might get stolen if empty -> Don't exit vehicle

While this certainly solves the problem, it assumes the worst for all scenarios. Instead consider:

• How often is there a enemy nearby capable of stealing your vehicle?
• How much are you actually losing if it does get stolen?
• How much are you gaining if decide to get out anyway?

If you can answer those three questions with "Often"/"A lot"/"Not much" then its clearly a terrible idea to get out. On the other hand, if you can in some way change those to "Unlikely"/"Not much"/"A Lot" then it wouldn't be entirely crazy to take the gamble to get out. Lets consider how to effect these questions.

 

Risk reduction : "How often is there a enemy nearby capable of stealing your vehicle?"

On Nod:

Usually not very high. The only way GDI is able to steal your vehicle is to either kill you or walk up in plain sight. Still, its possible to reduce the chances further. 

• Stay close to your vehicle to quickly re-enter to prevent death from most automatic weapons. Assumes you have enough health to react.
• Keep moving & use your tank as cover to reduce chance of death from one-shot.
• Constantly look around your tank to prevent chance of enemy sneaking up on you.

Pretty obvious stuff, but it gets more interesting on GDI's side.

On GDI:

All risks and reductions on Nod's side also applies to GDI. In addition, we also have to consider SBHs. So, how close are SBHs to your tank usually? Well, we don't know. BUT! We do know that they aren't immediately around your tank since they'll be visible. This small distance gives us some crucial leeway in controlling the SBH risk.

• Only exit your vehicle for a VERY short amount of time (<3 seconds or so) so SBHs won't have enough time to react and run up to your vehicle.
• Shoot the ground next to you randomly so SBHs keep their distance.
• All risk reductions of Nod applies to GDI as well.

Remember that you don't need to do everything all at once. Keep your exits short but often to maximise your efficiency. While isn't as necessary on Nod to have short exits, its not a bad idea to get in the habit of doing it anyway.

 

Damage control : "How much are you losing if it does get stolen?" 

However much your tank is worth plus the damage the stolen tank causes. There isn't much too say about the price, but the damage the stolen tank can vary significantly depending on the scenario. 

• All of this is secondary to the risk reduction section. If you cannot reduce the risk of it being stolen then consider these points to decide if it is worth exiting. 
• Try to exit vehicles when next to superior allied firepower so they can react if it gets stolen. 
• Don't be afraid of leaving fragile and low cost vehicles.
• Avoid leaving high-tier vehicles.
• Be less afraid of the consequences the lower health you have on your tank. A tank that is about to die poses almost no danger to your team.

 

Maximising gain : "How much are you gaining if decide to get out anyway?" 

There is a ton of different scenarios and infantry combinations possible for this, many of which I can't do (since I have trash aim) but there are a few to highlight.

• Repairing your tank: Many players will think of this as just restoring health points initially, but I think its important to instead think of this as "increasing the amount of volleys you can take". For instance, a recruit Sydney will deal 100 damage to a Arty per shot. In a 1v1 scenario, increasing your health pool from from 101 HP to 199 gives you ZERO GAIN. Increasing your health pool from 99 to 101 on the other hand will literally double your effective health. Its a massive difference in gain and if done correctly, can give you the edge to keep your tank alive in fights.  (ASIDE: At minimum I suggest you should be capable of taking two volleys in a fight. e.g: A Arty should never expose themselves to a Mammoth tank when they have less than half health)
• Disarming MCT C4/Beacon: It should be pretty obvious but saving a building is considerably more valuable than losing a tank. This does NOT mean you should exit your vehicle each time though. Check your map first, if you can't see anyone else coming to assist you only then exit.
• Throwing EMP: This provides a relatively small tactical advantage. It is very fast however, so there's little risk in doing so.

 

Specific examples:

For sake of completion, here a few more examples of how all of this works together.

EDIT: Video examples! Linky.

• Repairing a vehicle next to the Guard towers on lakeside: Chance of it being stolen (ignoring spies) is zero. Damage and gain don't matter in this case. Exit.
• Repairing a Mammoth tank in GDI base on Walls: There is a relatively low amount of risk of the tank being stolen, especially if you actively follow risk reduction. On the other hand, there's a fair potential for damage and you're gaining pretty much nothing. Maybe a few seconds of your time. Do not exit.
• Disarming timed C4 on a Humvee: There's a high chance of the Humvee being stolen since you'll be unable to perform short exits as effectively to disarm the C4 in time. You're not really losing much from getting out though. Its only a Humvee and it'll die anyway if you don't get out. On the flipside, even if you do disarm the C4, you're only saving a Humvee. Either choice though is acceptable. Personally would attempt it.
• Repairing a solo Veteran 350 HP MRLS with recruit timed C4 on it: Relatively low chance of the vehicle being stolen if you short exit and fire missiles around. Potential damage is fairly significant since you don't have allies to react nearby. You are potentially saving the vehicle if you repair beyond 400 HP though. Use short exits.
• Repairing a 100 HP Medium tank while being shot at by a Light tank with a second Medium tank ally nearby: There's a high risk of the Medium tank being stolen, as you won't be able to deter SBHs at all. However, since your tank is on low HP, the potential damage it can cause is very low - probably firing 1 or 2 shells at your ally before it dies. The potential gain is very high, as you might be able to save your tank by out repairing the Light tank. Furthermore, if the enemy Light is greedy, you may be able to bait them long enough for your ally to kill them. Exit.

(The above scenario is one of the most impactful cases where you seriously consider exiting. Worst case it remains a 1v1. Best case its becomes a 2v0. This scenario can also be extended to other combinations of tanks.)

• Repairing a 500 HP Light tank while dueling a 700 HP Medium tank on Outposts: You can't use the Light tank as cover that well so there is a fair chance of getting sniped. There's a pretty large potential of damage if the tank gets stolen as well. You're not gaining much, only 1-2 extra hits. Do not exit. However consider exiting in cover or on lower health, especially if you can force the situation into a reverse of the scenario above.
• Leaving a Flame tank by GDI's entrance on Field, with enemy Havoc on sniper perch above and Barracks dead. High risk. high potential damage to allies. Potentially high reward if they fall for the bait. Either choice. I wouldn't risk it personally.

Edited February 16, 2019 by Xeon Wraith
Link to videos!

[djlaptop]

This is a great write-up, especially for newer players for whom this logic doesn't occur right away.

A couple additions:

• If you exit your vehicle, you must also beware fire from afar, such as from snipers or riflemen. Someone doesn't have to be near you to kill you, which leaves your tank unprotected while you respawn back in base.
• When you exit your vehicle you can sometimes control the direction you spawn by aiming the turret. I say "sometimes" because occasionally I get mixed results with this. This way you can usually spawn on the correct side of your tank to use it as cover.
• If you hop out of your vehicle to pick up a crate, make sure  you're prepared to immediately get back in if you get a nuke crate. If you get a vehicle crate, you have a lot of quick decisions to make. Any crate that changes your character may negate your ability to repair your vehicle as well. If you get an alien abduction crate I think you're pretty much boned.
• Also beware sbh's, who are known to camp near crate spawn points.
• You can entirely mitigate the risk of your vehicle being stolen by having a passenger, or having someone get in your vehicle while you repair. The latter also has the added benefit of giving you a few veterancy points.

[Zucadragon]

What's an sbh though? I've heard that term being thrown around a lot.

[limsup]

19 minutes ago, Zucadragon said:

What's an sbh though? I've heard that term being thrown around a lot.

Stealth Black Hands, also known as Stealth Soldier

Spoiler

 

[Zucadragon]

Thanks for the info

[Sn4ke]

On 8.4.2018 at 4:42 PM, djlaptop said:

....or having someone get in your vehicle while you repair. The latter also has the added benefit of giving you a few veterancy points.

which is only the case if the passenger switches to the "active" seat by hitting "1" (better than leaving and re-entering the vehicle)

Edited April 9, 2018 by DarkSn4ke

[Eagle XI]

Dont.

There is an SBH around.

There is always an SBH around. Inspecially there is one if you are feeling secure enough to abandon your vehicle.

In fact this thread may be an propaganda of the Nod Stealth Bureau to affect psychology of GDI crews as so to abandon their vehicles more easily!1!11!1

 

[yosh56]

Seriously.... I get out of my tank constantly to repair.. If you keep it to under 2 seconds, you're still removing ~80 damage, and making it hard as hell to jack your vehicle 

 

[kira]

7 minutes ago, yosh56 said:

Seriously.... I get out of my tank constantly to repair.. If you keep it to under 2 seconds, you're still removing ~80 damage, and making it hard as hell to jack your vehicle 

 

not enoguh. when I am alone in the field with my tank, I do come out and repair it under short period of time. but you always got to assume that there is someone close and for that I also move the tank, shoot around (usually to watch of sbh) and then out,repair,in.

Edited April 14, 2018 by kira

[Guest Gliven]

here is a good visual example on why getting out of your tank could be beneficial.

Giving repairs to your support will keep both of you in the fight longer. Even if there was a spy sbh near by to steal my artillery, both of us have enough c4 to deal with it.

[Xeon Wraith]

I've started recording some of my gameplay to demonstrate some of this. 

> Leaving a Stank for additional repairs to overcome enemy DPS - while keeping enemy infantry in check.

Spoiler

 

 

> Exiting a MRLS to repair through enemy timed C4. Repairing saves the MRLS, but gets stolen shortly after. Allied cover and low vehicle health ensures the stolen MRLS gets taken care of quickly.

Spoiler

 

 

> Quick repairs saves a Humvee taking splash damage

Spoiler

 

 

Edited May 26, 2019 by Xeon Wraith
New example 26/5/2019

[cncforever]

As a frequent player as sbh (Drunkensoldier), I fully support this thread. SBH are always lurking. Ive waited for GDI to repair a vehicle up to 99% before stealing. This is not easy....the urge to steal is always great. Ive also stuck C4 on vehicles knowing GDI would get out to repair.....then I stole  the vehicle. The feeling of satisfaction when Grand Theft Auto is successful as SBH probably increases testosterone levels.

Edited February 23, 2019 by cncforever